Conception

Conception means getting pregnant. It happens when a man’s sperm fertilises a woman’s egg. For some women, this happens within a cycle, but for others it can take a longer period of time. Having unprotected sex regularly increases the chances of getting pregnant. The male’s sperm can live for up to seven days inside the female body. The sperm will then travel up the fallopian tubes to meet with the released egg. It's difficult to know exactly when this egg is released unless you are practicing natural family planning. Every month an egg or occasionally more eggs are released. The lining of the uterus would be thick awaiting this egg to be implanted in its walls. The cervical mucus also becomes thinner to aid the sperm in it’s upwards journey. If the egg does not meet the sperm the lining of the womb will be shed as menstrual period.

In order to understand conception and pregnancy, you should consult the male and female sexual anatomy and physiology sections and to understand how a woman’s menstrual cycle and how the period happens.